Ryan L. Orozco

Quality Engineering Supervisor

Bechtel

Age: 39

Current city of residence: Richland

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities? 34 years

Briefly describe your company:

Bechtel is an engineering, procurement and construction company with a strong history (125 years!) of building inspiring projects across the globe, including the waste treatment plant (WTP) upstream of Tri-Cities to protect the Columbia River and Pacific Northwest from millions of gallons of waste. Bechtel colleagues live for the challenge, we do the right thing, we succeed together, we take care of each other, and we build trust.

Over my 16 years working for Bechtel at WTP, I can best describe my colleagues as resilient, overcoming countless technical challenges to complete this one-of-a-kind project. The Bechtel culture of treating people with mutual respect, trust and dignity also stands out to me in the engineering, procurement and construction field and fosters a great place to work.

How long have you worked there?

16 years

Education: Please list any degrees and professional certifications.

B.S. mechanical engineering, Washington State University - 2007.

Washington State Professional Engineer - 2015.

Six Sigma Black Belt - 2013.

Briefly describe your job and how you got into it:

I am the quality engineering supervisor at the Waste Treatment Plant. In this role, I am responsible for our engineering program (250+ documents), engineering training, assessments, line surveillances, condition reports, lessons learned and overall being a helping hand. I am honored to lead a team of 13 professionals, including three fully remote team members spanning the country. I love helping resolve big and small issues, building trust by being faithful in small and large things, communicating creatively, finding ways to inspire my team, and improving processes.

A mentor told me that the quality engineering supervisor position was the "conscience of engineering," and I've enjoyed driving integrity in everything that I do to support engineering.

How did you earn your first dollar?

I grew up north of Pasco on a 400-acre commercial orchard, so it was not long before I was in the orchard cutting tree suckers (small stems that grow around base of the tree or trunk).

What advice would you give to your younger self about achieving success?

Do not to strive for a title or position of authority, but focus on growing relationships with colleagues and being faithful in small things as Luke 16:10 NLT states, "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities."

What was your dream job as a child?

If I was not going to be a Ninja Turtle, my dream job was designing the hydroplanes I watched race along the Columbia River growing up. Hydroplanes racing around the river with big rooster tails were one of my favorite things to draw as a kid.

What would make our community a better place to live?

Our community would be a better place to live if marriages across the Tri-Cities were improved. I believe healthy marriages lead to healthy families, creating healthy communities.

I helped launch a 15-week marriage enrichment program in 2019 with my wife and another couple called Re/engage, which we lead each fall and spring. Some notable quotes we've heard: "We decided to put divorce behind us," "Our marriage would not have survived Covid without the program," and "We were separated when we started Re/engage, and now we are a 7 out of 10."

See Marriagehelp.org for more information and Calvary-tricities.org to sign up for spring/fall 15-week sessions.

What would be your top 3 priorities to make our community a better place?

Improve marriages through Re/engage and other marriage enrichment programs.

Help combat youth depression and suicide with increased access to mental health and biblical counseling.

Trader Joe's.

If you had unlimited time, what volunteer work would you be interested in doing?

If I had unlimited time to pour into the Tri-Cities community, I would serve in ministries such as YoungLife, Teen Challenge, middle school, men's ministries, small groups and Re/engage marriage ministries because I've seen firsthand how God has used these programs to transform lives and families across the Tri-Cities.

How do you achieve work-life balance?

I often get immersed helping resolve issues at work, so I learned to set an alarm on my watch to remind me to go home after the workday is over. I am blessed to be able to work from home part time, which allows me to enjoy precious breakfast and lunch breaks with my young family.

Do you have family? Pets?

My wife, Esther, and I have been married for eight years, and we have a 2.5-year-old daughter and a 7-month-old son.

Both of our immediate families live in the Tri-Cities area. I have a younger sister who is a dental hygienist, and brother who recently purchased a dental practice, Jilek Family Dentistry in Pasco. Both married nurses who work at Kadlec. My mom is a retired elementary school teacher and my dad is a retired orchardist who still runs a small cherry orchard. My wife's family can be found at the Tri-Cities or Walla Walla farmers markets selling fruit from their Flatau Farm.

What brought you to the Tri-Cities? Did you grow up here?

I grew up north of Pasco in the middle of the agriculture community on a 400-acre orchard near the Ringold river access. Growing up in the rural community north of Pasco, I developed strong ties to the Tri-Cities. I went to Edwin Markham Elementary School, McLoughlin Middle School and Pasco High School, where I played football and was a co-captain of the soccer team. I received the Dr. James Denning Award for my sports and academic achievements at Pasco High School. I went to WSU, graduating in 2007 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and have a professional engineering certificate in Washington state.

I prayed about where to go after school and God led me back to the Tri-Cities where I started working at WTP for Bechtel. My roots in the Tri-Cities and surrounding agriculture give me a unique passion about protecting the river because I know the impact it would have on the Tri-Cities and the Pacific Northwest if waste contaminated the river.

Favorite thing to do in Tri-Cities?

Enjoying a classic Tri-Cities sunset over Rattlesnake with my family.

Favorite snack?

Anjou pears. I love eating them green and crunchy right off the tree.

What do you wish people knew about the Millennial generation?

Millennials like coffee too.

Would you rather travel back in time or to the future?

I would go to the future. I'd be excited to see the new technology and what life is like.